Home » Altered Alma (Preview)

We had the opportunity to do a short demo run of Altered Alma during our time at PAX West. It’s a metroidvania, cyberpunk action game that shows some fun gameplay with role-playing game elements.

An Electrical Time

The game is a post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk title that combines metroidvania and RPG elements, features relationship building, and showcases stunning pixel art and animation visuals. You have an indie game called Altered Alma, developed by 2Awesome Studio, the same team who worked on Dimension Drive.

During our short timed demo, 2Awesome Studio has shown quite an improvement on their game since we last played one of their titles, and it’s packed with layers of genres. Do they all work together? So far, yes! While we didn’t dig much into the relationship situation, from what we can tell, you can grow upon multiple choices with a teammate.

Jack’s fighting is quite smooth, though some battle mechanics do feel a bit rough on the edges, which was revealed when the game lets us demo. With Jack’s newfound power, we were tested on how to use it in a mini-tutorial that required us to navigate multiple electric spike pits, where a single touch would result in failure. It took multiple tries, which tested our patience, but we eventually managed to get through it. Outside of these challenges, battles were quite fun and high-paced. We often used sliding to dodge an enemy’s heavy attacks since it showcased how it was more effective than other defensive moves.

Enemies occasionally wiped us out, which created a learning experience, allowing us to face those same enemies with fewer issues than before. The game will punish you if you go in blindly, and learning your combat and enemy patterns proved to be a must.

Players can upgrade Jack’s powers as you progress the story, giving it that Metroid vibe and utilizing those RPG elements. The level designs also give us that Castlevania sensation with its animated back and forefront visuals. The pixel designs are highly detailed, which contributes to the grungy atmosphere of this cyberpunk world. While our time was short, we’re excited for the progress and the future release of Altered Alma.

Altered Alma is set to launch in the near future for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for additional information and purchasing options. We appreciate the Ukiyo Studios team for giving us the opportunity to test out their game at PAX West.